Sled



F. STIFFLER.

SLED. HAPPLICATIOYN FILED DEC.23. 1920.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

[NJ/ENTOR FRmm/m ST/FfLF/e flTTORIY K is economical of construction, durable, light a PATENT ;.0 F1

mmmex srrrrnrm, or-uUnomfmmA af suing Application-filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,728,

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthatI, FREDERICK STIFFLER,

a citizen of theUnit'ed States, residing at Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in sleds of that class or type intended to be propelled by the rider. i

Objects of this invention are to provide simple and eflicient means connected to and constituting a art of the sled construction by which'exh' aratin g. andhealthful exercise for the rider-is afiorded-and-at the same time the sled may be propelled. More specific purposes are to provlde: aconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts that in weight, and not liable .toget out of'order orrepair. I

In the accompanying illustration is shown the preferred form of'embodiment of my invention, it being understood that minor changes may be made in the general construction and arrangement and proportioning of the several combined parts, within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim, without departing from the nature or spirit of the invention or sacrificin any of its advantages.

y invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followmg specification, and is defined in the appended claim. The several parts of the invention, as they appear in the different views in the drawings, are identified by suitable characters of reference.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of my improved sled, taken on the line 11 in Figure 2, the front and rear portions being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sled, a portion of the top board being broken away.

The runners 1 and 1" may be made of steel sheet metal of suitable gauge of thickness, and of the form shown, and they are retained at properly spaced distance apart by suitable transverse brace members 2, 3, 4 and 5. At a location suitably distant from the forward end of the runners they are divided vertically, the forward portions thereof being designated pilot runners (3 and 6. These pilot runners are retained at spaced distance apart by a cross bar 7 and Specification of team Patent.

Peal-l d Jan. 24, 1922.

jEachof the pilot runners has its vertical edge 6 beveled, as shown in Figure 2, and they are Iconnected toethe main runners 1 and 1 by resilient connectors. I These connectors, designated as springs may consist of flatbar springs 9 and Qarranged longitubar'thereare secured foot rests nall. and connected to the runners as shown.

Vl'lllG these springs'normally retain the sections of runners in alignment, the pilot runnor may be urged .in adirection slightly to the rightor to the'left, so that the direction of movement of the sled may be accordingly Ivariedf by the pressure of the :ridersefeet at thefoot rests. 10. designates a, suitable stay rod. to maintain the points of the pilot. runners at spaced distance apart.

Arranged between the runners 1 ,andvl is a=;driven member which consists ofatransthe inner: side of the runner, and thestuds 11 that engage inthe slot 12 of the runner.

'Lugsz.-l3that are formed integrally near each end of the bar 11, constitute rests against which the grip bars 14 are normally retained by a leaf spring 15 that is secured to the arm 11. By the construction described it is observed that the grip bars occupy oppositely disposed positions one being on the inside of each of the runners 1 and 1. Each of the grip bars is made of metal, and has its upper end loosely retained on the spindle 11 of the driven bar 11; its lower end 1 1 being toothed as shown in Figure 2. Projecting from the side of the lower portion of the grip bar is a stud 14 whose function will be presently referred to.

16 designates a drive bar provided at its upper end with handles 16. The lower end of this drive bar is connected to a support rod 17 which has its ends journaled in the runners 1 and 1*, as shown plainly in Figure 2. At a suitable location on the drive bar 16, the forward end of a connecting link member 18 is loosely connected by a bearing pin 19. The lower end of the connecting link is journaled on the driven bar 11.

The suitable top board 20 of the sled is properly secured to the members 2, 3, A and 5, and may be of width to cover the top edges of the runners. At the inner surface near the lower edge of each of the runners,

i surface of the said cam and the grip baris" lifted to, a heightsuflicientto disengage the points 14 of the grip bar, from'the snow a of the invention, while of proper strength,

may be light in Weight and economical of its normal rearward-travel,- inthe propellingof the sled, the studs 14 engage the surface.

The utility of my invention, and the mode of use, is apparent from the foregoing description, and a reading of the drawings. Propulsion of the sled on horizontal-or in-' clining grades is practicable; and at the same time the use of the sled in drifting or coasting is equally efiective. v V The rider may be seated at natural position on the top board, grasping the handles '16 and having his feet on the foot rests :8

and 8. With the swinging forwardly of the drive bar 16, the driven bar 11 is moved to the -limit of :its forward stroke, the points ofithegrip ba'rs being" indirect or gripping contact with the snow surface. By a rearward pull then ofthe drive bar, the/sled is caused'to be moved forwardly. A forward movement then by the rider of the drive bar 16 carries the driven bar 11 to the" limit of 'itsforward stroke; the points of the grip bars being at contact with thesnow surface,

a rearward pull of. the drive bar causesthe sled to: be again ,.moved forwardly; The repetition by the rider, of the reciprocating movement of the drive bar, causes-a succession of impulses to be imparted to the sled,

thus maintaining the forward movement "of the sled-j r ii i-rji e iiolfgiiai'iemlrd and rearwardtravel of the drive bar is shown by the dotted lines. In coasting, the rider ma retreat-the drive bar to the extreme rearward position, the studs 14] of the grip bars rising on the cams 21 thus being disengaged from the snow-surface.

'It is contemplated that the several parts in bulk as an article of manufacture.

A sled, comprisingipara-llel runners each having aslot in its upper lp'ortion,"a transverse idrivenbar having its ends to: reside in the said :slotsthere being =a-lugnear the ends of the driven bar-,a grip ibar'loosely'retained near each end of'the-driven-bar andrto rest i against saidlug-, a'springi to press against said igrip bar, a 'drive; bar capable "of being reciprocated, a connecting link between the drive bar "and the idriven bar, and cams car- 'ried by the runners s'o arranged that when the driven bar is at retracted positions the :grip' bars will'have been lifted from the c'ontact with the sn owsurr'ace." I 1- r In testimony w'hereofI aflixmy signature.

, FREDEnIoKYsriF L-ER.f 

